


Five Happy Homecomings

by KeyWonderLand



Series: Because He's Happy! [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Happy Hogan Is Gay In This Universe, M/M, Self-Insert - Original Male Character (Author)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 17:35:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17248505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeyWonderLand/pseuds/KeyWonderLand
Summary: He sounded more stressed than in awe when he told me he would be looking after THE Spider-Man. That's probably why he insisted I tag along. I can remember FIVE of those TIMES from around that period.[This work focuses more on Happy than on Peter, though.]





	Five Happy Homecomings

**Author's Note:**

> This work takes place within the established universe of Spider-Man: Homecoming.

 

**I**

As soon as Happy saw the queen sized bed, he left his rolling suitcase right at the door and went over to the mattress. He fell back onto the bedsheets, arms spread and eyes closed.

"You're gonna wanna get up," I told him, though understanding his plight. "The longer you lay there, the harder it's going to be to get back up."

Only a drawn-out plaintive moan came from the motionless body. 

**II**  


It was only when we had finally settled down in our hotel room that evening that I decided to bring up the elephant in the room. A big grumpy one named Harold.

"I mean—" Happy had already thrown his head back with exasperation as he donned his complimentary hotel robe—"maybe taking your frustrations out on a fifteen-year-old is not the best way to endear yourself."

"Who's frustrated?" Happy asked, the bullhead.

"You. Matter of fact, you made it clear when you were first paired up with Peter. 'Who the fuck does he think he is? I shouldn't be the one doing this.' and stuff like that."

Happy just shrugged, bringing about a weird knot of annoyance to my throat. 

"No 'Downton' for you tonight, young man," I mocked.

"Wait, 'Downton Abbey's' on?" Happy asked excitedly.

I didn't know but I had hidden the remote so he wouldn't know.

**III**  


"So, what's this about cardiograms?"

Happy's head snapped up, his innocent brown eyes connected to mine as he froze in the midst of removing his suit jacket, the coat hanging halfway off of his body.

"'Cardiograms?'" he repeated, seemingly confused.

"Back in the car, while you were getting the case? I heard Tony talking to Peter about not stressing you out because of your cardiograms. Like, is everything okay?"

Happy's face sunk with defeated realization. "Yeah, yeah. It's nothin' to worry about," Happy dismissed, finally allowing the black suit jacket to fall into his hand.

A feeling of dread welling up within my stomach. "Are you _sure?_ " 

Happy expelled a sigh through his nose because he knew I wasn't going to let it go. "Well, like I told you, it's nothing big. One day I started feelin' all weird and dizzy, Tony had F.R.I.D.A.Y. check my vitals, and then they're talking about how certain spikes are too high or too low—"

"That sounds _plenty_ big."

"They said it was nothing fatal, just something to be aware of. Okay?" 

My innards stopped squirming but a remnant of the dread still lingered. "I'm just concerned, is all. I mean, maybe it's not as serious as I think it is but that can't be good for you. And like with how wound up you were lately—"

"Hey, can I be honest about something? With you?" Happy stammered this as he walked awkwardly over to his closet, the suit coat dragging behind him. There was only silence as he slid the jacket onto its hanger, then he finally spoke. "You know, this job has got me worried constantly. About the people I love. About their safety. Y'know, I gotta look after Tony, I gotta look after Pepper...you. And now there's the kid. I mean, being worried comes with the job but I can't help it regardless. 'Cause you're all the few precious friends I got."

Happy let out another weary sigh as he willed himself to shuffle over and took a knee beside my armchair. He went on with a voice that was calm, a tone I had not heard in days. "You know when that _thing_ happened to me back at the theater? The whole ka-blowie? After I got out from the hospital, all I had were people worried about me. The last thing I wanted to have, while I'm lickin' my wounds, were people worried about me. Concerned about me. It shows you guys cared but in all honesty, it just makes me anxious. Because—"

Happy halted himself then pressed on.

"Because if anyone's going to worry about anything or anyone, _I'd_ rather be the one to do it. If _you're_ all worried, that means I'm not really doing my job." There was more silence as Happy sincere eyes stuck to mine. "Okay?"

It wasn't like I didn't understand Happy's sentiments but I still had to tell him. "Yeah, I got it. I mean, I'm not trying to make it worse for you, but I feel like I have the right to worry at  _least_ a little. You know, as you are close to me."

Happy smiled, bowing his head downward. "Fair enough. I can't stop ya."

** IV **

"This is so weird," I commented, looking around the empty office once filled with energy and gadgets and superheroes; it was almost depressing how it was now just a soul-less room bereft of nothing but a table and an office chair. 

"No, this is so done," Happy moaned, slumped back in the chair. I saw how he was exhausted yet rejuvenated, much like when making Head of Security. The rock of stress and work he'd been under for the past few weeks had finally lifted itself with mercy, leaving only freedom (aside from what last-minute work there was to be done). "Know what? Dinner. Just you and me. And not just some greasy spoon."

My stomach perked up. "Okay, we can scale it up a bit. Pizza Puffs on a silver platter with french fries arranged around it all fancy-like."

"You _really_ wanna do Pizza Puffs?" Happy scoffed. "Tell you what. This is  _my_ victory, let  _me_ pick the place. I know a good one."

"Look, as long as food is involved."

First, however, Happy decided to call his Mother. The fact that he was willing to speak with her by choice told me he was feeling especially good. I didn't see the need to eavesdrop on their conversation so I drifted over to one of the large windows that overlooked part of Manhatten. 

That was also when I saw, in the distance, the cargo airplane carrying all of Mr. Stark's precious gadgets taking a sharp nosedive.

"Ooooooh," I expelled, followed by a sharp intake of air through my teeth. I twisted myself around to see Happy standing slowly as he stared in disbelief at the descending plane. He'd already seen.

The mood in the room fell faster.

Happy inhaled through his nose, holding in air as he tapped a number into his smartphone. "Could I speak to Mr. Stark, please?" he quietly asked. There was a moment of silence as Happy shifted uncomfortably on his feet while chewing on the inside of his cheek. I heard a voice on the other end and Happy began to tell Mr. Stark what he just witnessed. As the conversation went on, Happy's face gradually sank into that of a wounded dog's, his eyes glistening with tears, his lips trembling. He tried to keep his voice as stoic as possible even though everything else was unraveling like a ball of yawn tumbling downstairs. "Naw, I'm okay," Happy lied, and a few seconds later, the call ended.

Happy's face screwed up in frustration as he hurled his phone to the floor. He dropped down into the office chair, his whole body wilted. 

"Of  _course_ I gotta have this fuck up," Happy muttered to himself. He thumped the table, "I can't even do  _this_ without it goin' to shit!" Happy's voice caught and he threw his hands over his face. I quickly jogged over and wrapped my arms around him, balling my body over his. I felt Happy let himself settle into the warmth and comfort until he patted my arm a few times. "I gotta go," he whined as he dragged his arms over his eyes, getting tears on his suit jacket. "I gotta go fix this."

Luckily, when Happy got home, he was in a much better mood. So much so, he didn't even need 'Downton' to cheer him up.

**V**  


Because I didn't want there to be two weird men in the boy's bathroom at high school, I opted to wait in the Audi with the AUX cord keeping me company. In the middle of a rousing mid-eighties chorus, my custom ringtone cut in. It was from Happy.

"Let me guess, you're being arrested right now?" I asked through the speakerphone. 

"No, look. The kid is coming in now. I'm gonna leave the phone on so you can hear me talk to him because I know you're not gonna let it go." There was silence, then I heard Peter's puzzled voice. Happy spoke next, surprising the hell out of me: "I really owe you one."

So many emotions were conveyed in that one short sentence: gratitude, relief, elation.

"I really don't know what I would do without this job." 

There was no ounce of the stress or the bitchiness that Peter had to put up with. This was pure Harold Hogan, the person a few people were lucky to witness.

"You know, before I met Tony—"

And now Happy was letting Peter in on a bit of his life, and he hardly knew him (like he ever part in the effort to). 

Flush!

Well, crap.  _That_ ruined it. 

But I was proud of Happy anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, again! Thank you all so much for viewing this work.
> 
> What better way to end the year than with another Happy Hogan feature! So, as you've seen, this takes place during certain portions of Spider-Man: Homecoming. For reference, Segment I takes place just after Happy has dropped Peter off at his room; Segment II takes place before Happy tells Peter about the thin walls; Segment III occurs after dropping Peter off at his apartment; Segment IV incorporates the deleted scene where Happy calls his mother and seeing the cargo plane be sabotaged; and Segment V takes place during the bathroom scene.
> 
> See you all in 2019 and if you are reading this in the new year...Hello!


End file.
